


tolerate it

by nectarwrites



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham, Fluff, Insecure Hannibal, M/M, Misunderstandings, Murder Husbands, Songfic, Vulnerable Hannibal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nectarwrites/pseuds/nectarwrites
Summary: “I can’t do this anymore!” Hannibal shouted uncharacteristically.Will stammered. “Are—you, are you breaking up with me?”Hannibal only fixed him with empty, red-rimmed eyes. “I know my love should be celebrated but you tolerate it.”songfic of t.swift’s tolerate it
Relationships: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Comments: 4
Kudos: 108





	tolerate it

Eating has always been more of a pleasure than necessity for Hannibal. However, as he idly dragged his fork through the cold, hardened rice he could not stop the misery from filling his stomach. This was the sixth night that Will had missed dinner. He’d been staying out later and later. Hannibal knew that Will was a grown man capable of taking care of himself but he couldn’t help but worry about his safety. A small, dark place in his brain told him to worry more about Will’s fidelity. Hannibal clenched his fist as his breathing became heavier from the thought of Will cheating.

Hearing the clock strike midnight, Hannibal sighed and cleaned up. He completed his routine of wrapping Will’s untouched dinner and placing it in the fridge. He felt a little grateful about Will’s absence because he was done laying the table with fancy things and watching Will tolerate it. When the door creaked open, Hannibal hollered that he was in the study.

Will’s head peaked around the doorframe. “I’d keep you company but I’m really tired so I’m gonna knock out.” He went to head off to bed but stopped at Hannibal clearing his throat.

“I believe you’re forgetting something?” Hannibal prompted, a plastic smile painted on his lips. 

Hannibal huffed at Will’s confused face before gesturing between their lips. Will let out an “oh!” and kissed him goodnight. The kiss filled him with a spiteful sadness as yet another unfamiliar, cheap cologne assaulted his nose. Part of him wanted to confront Will with his suspicions but his mylimasis’s lies and excuses had gotten worse and he didn’t think he could hear them tonight without snapping.

Instead, he brightened his fake smile and waved Will’s retreating figure goodnight.

Alone in his palace, the candle in his hand being the only source of light and warmth, he wandered into the darkest parts of his head. His terrors always bounced between Will leaving and never coming back from his nightly activities or him waking up alone in the morning to see a note. Tonight; however, a third scenario of Will screaming that he just doesn’t love him anymore pushed Hannibal out of his head. 

“Something about us is upsetting him,” Hannibal murmured. “Ah! Maybe he’s tired of this domesticity? I can spice things up.”

With a small, sincere smile, Hannibal pulled out a notebook and began planning.

He awakened, trailing a hand down his beloved’s chest and watching Will breathe with his eyes closed. He pressed a kiss onto Will’s forehead, silently promising to do whatever is necessary to fix their relationship.

Then Hannibal turned on his side and ignoring the therapist in him pointing out all of the signs, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

*

Will must have been on a break from his endeavors. He hadn’t been out late for the past few nights but he usually slept through dinner. Hannibal noted as he sat and watched Will read with his head low. In this relationship, he notices everything Will does and doesn’t do so he could see if anything’s wrong. He knows the younger man still struggles with sharing his feelings and troubles. It’s hitting the two weeks mark since they’ve been intimate but Hannibal doesn’t initiate it because if Will’s heart wasn’t into it, Hannibal might just shatter.

Will came home late as usual but Hannibal greeted him at the front door with a battle hero’s welcome, dressed in his fanciest clothes and his hair gelled back. Only for Will to wordlessly drift past him, leaving a trail of terrible perfume and cologne in his wake. Taking in a deep breath, he guided Will to his chair at the dining table in front of a steaming plate of his beloved spicy shrimp fettuccine.

Will ate like someone was using strings to move his arms. His favorite food failed to bring light back into his empty, dazed eyes.

Still, Hannibal refused to give up. “I made your favorite. Oh and do you like the flowers? I picked your favorites from that meadow we love so much,” Hannibal said. Yet, only silence greeted him.

The sound of a chair falling over and clattering fine china jolted Will back into reality. His wandering eyes met Hannibal’s ready ones and noticed the red petals leading to the bedroom.

“Hann—”

“I can’t do this anymore!” Hannibal shouted uncharacteristically. 

Will stammered. “Are—you, are you breaking up with me?”

Hannibal only fixed him with empty, red-rimmed eyes. “I know my love should be celebrated but you tolerate it.” He shook his head, chuckling bitterly as he dragged himself upstairs.

Will sighed, realizing his mistakes. He’d been out late at night killing people to practice his carving and get ideas for Hannibal’s masterpiece. He knew that the man had been trying to stop murdering because they needed to be careful. But it had been a year so Will wanted to do something meaningful as an announcement. But what confused him was Hannibal’s outburst. Surely, the man couldn’t have been that hurt from his absence.

He kicked off his shoes, wrapping his body like a safety blanket around Hannibal’s trembling body. “Talk to me, darlin’, why are you upset?”

“I made you my temple, my mural, my sky and now I am begging for footnotes in the story of your life.”

“Baby, I don’t understand.”

“You have been cheating on me for the past week or so. Maybe because I'm always taking up too much space or time.”

Hannibal’s words stunned Will into silence, which Hannibal interpreted as an admission of guilt.

“You assume I’m fine, but what would you do if I break free and leave us in ruins? If it’s all in my head tell me now. Tell me i’ve got it wrong somehow.”

“I’ve been killing people.”

“Wha—”

Will softly shushed his husband so he could explain without Hannibal drawing further assumptions. “The only reason I didn’t tell you or ask you to come with me is because I’ve been practicing. I wanted to surprise you for our anniversary but I see I’ve caused pain as I always do.”

If Hannibal was a lesser man, he’d burst into tears of happiness. 

“Oh, mylimasis.” He caressed his husband’s cheek, ignoring the tears sneaking out of his eyes.

“And I don’t tolerate it, I celebrate your love. I’m so grateful that I get to witness you in all of your low and high moments. To wake up every morning and have you be the first thing I lay my eyes on.” Will paused, rubbing his face into Hannibal’s neck. “I’d love to only lay my eyes on you for the rest of my days.” 

Hannibal smiled and wrapped his arms around Will. “Can I hunt with you next time?”

“Of course. Now let’s go to sleep.” Will pressed another kiss onto Hannibal’s neck.

Hannibal drifted off, an immense happiness fluttering in his bones.

  
  



End file.
